The 20-6 Rua hasn’t stepped into the Octagon since his five-round classic against Dan Henderson at UFC 139 this past November. However, he was previously linked to a fight with Quinton Jackson indicating he is healthy enough to fight again in the coming months, and now seems to have gotten his adversary in the form of Silva. Some of his past wins include those over Jackson, Alistair Overeem, Forrest Griffin, and Lyoto Machida.

Silva hasn’t enjoyed the same level of success as “Shogun” but is an apt adversary all the same, racking up a record of 14-3 in his career with stoppages of Houston Alexander and Keith Jardine. He was last seen going the distance against rising star Alexander Gustafsson earlier this month in the main event at UFC on Fuel 2 after more than a year away from competition due to a drug-related suspension.

With the announcement that Jose Aldo’s title-defense against Erik Koch will indeed take place at UFC 149 a likely landing spot for Silva-Rua could be UFC 147 given the June 23 event’s attachment to Brazil and need for a solid bout alongside Wanderlei Silva-Vitor Belfort.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Among those high on his list are a third fight with Lyoto Machida and a spot as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter. And, being the good guy he is, Rua wants to make things easy by combining the two into a single concept by pairing them against each other on the reality show.

“Of course it is my desire to do a TUF, which is a program where people see everything that passes for the fighter,” said Rua, in an interview with Portal Do Vale Tudo. ““Lyoto would make it even more interesting…and consider how good this third fight will sell.”

Rua and Machida battled over the divisional belt twice before with each fighter holding a win over the other. With the UFC making it a priority to send TUF internationally, the with high numbers already for the first season of the show in Brazil, the idea that Rua and Machida would make for good TV seems obvious under the TUF Brasil format.

“Shogun” has not competed since a decision loss to Dan Henderson late in 2011, while “The Dragon” is also coming off a defeat occurring when Jon Jones chocked him unconscious in their December bout for the UFC title.

PHOTO CREDIT – FEG/UFC

The 30-year old Brazilian recently spoke some about his future, saying he wants to fight this summer and has his fingers crossed he’ll have a chance to do so in front of a sea of screaming countrymen at UFC 147.

“I dream about being part of this card, even because it’s a huge event. I would really like to be a part of it,” said Rua in an interview with TATAME. “It would be very exciting. The first time I was touched by it. At Engenhao you can put like three times more people… It’s overwhelming as a fighter. I work for the UFC, so I’m just waiting. Whatever UFC decides it’s decided.”

Rua fought Forrest Griffin last August at UFC 134 in Rio de Janeiro’s HSBC Arena. Engenhao, where UFC 147 is set to take place on June 23, seats more than 60,000 people.

Rua also responded to Jackson’s withdrawal from a tentatively scheduled tilt, as well as Henderson supposedly turning down a rematch taking place at UFC 149 in Calgary.

“It’s something I know ‘Rampage’ really wanted and so did I, but you gotta be like super prepared to fight,” explained Rua of Jackson, before turning to Henderson, stating, “It’s something I really wanted. It was a fight that pleased the fans and the press. I really wanted it but unfortunately it didn’t happen. I’m sure I’ll eventually get a chance to beat Dan Henderson.”

The former PRIDE stand-out concluded the conversation by saying he was open to facing anyone the matchmaking team put him against, avoiding emotional investment in a fight that may never materialize. Possibilities based on availability could include Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Lyoto Machida, or even the winner of an upcoming April bout between Alexander Gustafsson-Thiago Silva.

UFC 147 is set to feature a pair of much-anticipated rematches in Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva vs. Vitor Belfort.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

While no date is set for their meeting, the UFC confirmed the match-up as well as the company’s willingness to set Jackson free after the fight on this week’s episode of UFC Tonight. The pairing also aligns with a number of public statements from both Jackson and Rua in the past pertaining to their interest in a rematch.

“Rampage” has been seeking his release for the past few weeks, citing problems with pay and an overall level of respect from his longtime employers.

In addition to putting two former title-holders and all-around entertaining, high-level competitors inside the cage together, Rua and Jackson could both use a win as each is coming off a decision loss in their previous performance. Jackson came up short against Ryan Bader at UFC 144, while the Brazilian battle it out with Dan Henderson in a Fight of the Year contender last November.

Success-wise, Rua holds an overall record of 20-6 with wins over Forrest Griffin, Chuck Liddell, Alistair Overeem, and Lyoto Machida to his credit. Comparably, Jackson is 32-10 with notable triumphs against Liddell, Machida, Henderson, and Wanderlei Silva.

Watch the full report below:

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

After falling to Jon Jones in a bout for the light heavyweight title last year, Jackson asked to be matched up with Rua for the recently-completed UFC card in Japan, UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson. The timing didn’t work out, and instead Jackson faced Ryan Bader and lost.

While Jackson’s stock may have taken a hit, “Shogun” doesn’t seem to mind in terms of another fight with Jackson. Rua, who was last seen falling to Dan Henderson in what many called the “Fight of the Year” this past November, still feels the need to step inside the Octagon with “Rampage” before the two retire from the sport.

“The fight against ‘Rampage’ will happen. It’s inevitable and (the) UFC knows it,” said Rua, in a recent interview with TATAME. “He won’t retire before fighting me and neither am I. I don’t know if he got injured (vs. Bader), if he was not feeling okay….it’s hard to know, but ‘Rampage’ is very professional and deserves to be respected.”

Rua added that he is expecting to find out his next opponent soon and will be back in training quickly to return to action. However, he offered no hint as to who the lucky party will be, only saying, “I don’t discard Ryan Bader nor ‘Rampage’, Dan Henderson, Rich Franklin… I guess there are many guys I could fight,” said Rua.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC/SUSUMU NAGAO

However, Rua apparently has no vacation plans in mind and wants to get back in the Octagon as soon as possible to erase the taste of defeat. In fact, he could have a contract signed as early as next week.

“I’m already training,” said the former champion to TATAME. “I hope I get better soon so I can fight for my fans, family and team.”

While Rua isn’t going full speed yet that could change soon, as he explained, “I don’t know when I’m fighting. Next week I might make some deal, but for now I don’t know anything about it, so I’m taking it easy. When I know it for sure, I can set a plan and work on it.”

Though “Shogun” doesn’t know who he will fight next, or at least isn’t tipping his hand if he does, the 30-year old Brazilian is certain of one thing.

“I’m sure it’ll be a tough guy because there’re only tough guys on the division. I’ll keep training to fight the best.”

The 20-6 Rua is 2-2 in his last four fights with wins over Lyoto Machida/Forrest Griffin and losses to Henderson/Jon Jones. No word has surfaced on who he will fight next but logical options could include rising star Alexander Gustafsson, the loser of Rashad Evans-Phil Davis, or the winner of Quinton Jackson-Ryan Bader.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

“Shogun” was nearly matched up with Henderson while the two were part of PRIDE in Japan a few years ago, and Henderson even fought Rua’s brother, Murilo Rua, in 2001.

“I always admired Dan Henderson as a great fighter. When I started to make a name for myself in PRIDE, people always talked about this fight taking place, and we both entered the Grand Prix tournament in 2005, where we could have met in the second round,” said Rua, in a recent interview with the UFC’s website. “Later on, when he got the (middleweight) belt from my former teammate Wanderlei Silva, I was next in line to challenge him for the belt, but PRIDE collapsed, so that never happened. I am glad we are finally having the chance to fight, as it’s a privilege to fight legends.”

Rua lost the UFC 205-pound title to Jon Jones earlier this year and is hoping that a strong showing over Henderson will place him back near the front of the line to get a rematch. Comparably, Henderson is returning to the UFC after winning the Strikeforce light heavyweight title and then taking out longtime legend Fedor Emelianenko in July.

“It would mean the world,” Rua said of returning to golden glory. “It (regaining the title) is my long-term goal, but my focus now is to beat Dan Henderson, which is a tough task in itself. After that, I’ll think of what’s next and talk to my manager and the UFC about it.”

Rua-Henderson is the main event of UFC 139 with other bouts on the PPV card include Silva vs. Cung Le and Urijah Faber vs. Brian Bowles.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

News of the bout was first reported by MMAWeekly.com and has since been confirmed by the UFC.

“Hendo” is no stranger to the octagon, having two prior runs under his belt. He first competed at UFC 17 back in 1998, winning the one night middleweight tournament before heading off to Japan, where he made a name for himself in PRIDE with victories over the likes Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort. He returned to the UFC at UFC 75, taking on Quinton Jackson in a UFC light heavyweight title vs. PRIDE light heavyweight title fight and followed that up with a bout against Anderson Silva in a fight that merged the UFC and PRIDE middleweight titles. Despite losing both bouts, Henderson rebounded and won three straight in the UFC, defeating Rousimar Palhares, Rich Franklin, and Michael Bisping.

Failing to reach a new contract with the UFC, Henderson headed to Strikeforce, where he immediately challenged Jake Shields for the middleweight strap. Not having the conditioning at 185 to defeat Shields, Henderson moved up to 205 where he knocked out Renato Sobral and Rafael Cavalcante to capture to the light heavyweight belt. In his most recent fight, Henderson stopped Fedor Emelianenko in the first round, pounding him out with his famous right hand, dubbed by some as the “H Bomb.”

Now the Team Quest pioneer will get another crack at a former PRIDE superstar when he takes on “Shogun” Rua, fresh off his victory over Forrest Griffin. In that bout, Rua received a hero’s welcome at UFC 134 in Brazil and avenged his first UFC loss against Griffin. The former UFC champ has had a storied MMA career that includes winning the PRIDE light heavyweight grand prix in 2005 and becoming the first man to beat Lyoto Machida to win in the UFC belt in 2010. Rua holds wins against some of the best fighters in the sports history, including Ricardo Arona, Quinton Jackson, Chuck Liddell, and Alistair Overeem.

The bout will headline UFC 139 and will have major title implications. Also on the card, which takes place on November 19 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California is a middleweight bout between Vitor Belfort and Cung Le.

*PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE*

News of the match-up was reported by MMAFighting where UFC President Dana White confirmed the likelihood of the two former 205-pound champions meeting in late summer.

The original fight at UFC 76 marked Rua’s debut in the Octagon and a performance he would undoubtedly like to redeem himself for after lacking the speed, power, and overall fitness he’d been known for in the past. Shortly after the bout it was revealed Rua had suffered a knee injury while training and sacrificed part of his full regiment as a result.

The PRIDE icon will be looking to bounce back from the soundest defeat of his career when he fights in front of his countrymen in Rio de Janeiro, a two-and-a-half round drumming from current divisional champ Jon Jones.

Meanwhile, Griffin rode the momentum of his win over Rua into a shot against Quinton “Rampage” Jackson where he ultimately walked away with the UFC’s light heavyweight title but has only gone 2-2 since including TKO losses to Anderson Silva and Rashad Evans. However, he has emerged with his hands raised in his last two fights with decision wins over Tito Ortiz and most recently Rich Franklin.

UFC Rio is set for August 27 at the HSBC Arena and is expected to feature a number of notable Brazilians in action. Already announced for the show is a headlining title with 185-pound champion Anderson Silva defending his title against top contender Yushin Okami.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

The UFC light heavyweight division has long been considered the most important weight class in the company, as many of the sport’s biggest stars have called 205 lbs. their home at one point or another. Guys like Tito Ortiz, Chuck Liddell, and Randy Couture carried the UFC for a number of years, but as of late the light heavyweight division has had trouble finding that next guy. At the moment what was old is new again, as Mauricio “Shogun” Rua has captured UFC gold and reclaimed his position as the definitive #1 fighter at light heavyweight. Rua has held the top spot for almost a year even though he’s yet to make his first title defense, but we won’t have to wait too much longer for that.

Conveniently enough, we also won’t have to wait too much longer to see if Jon Jones is the next big thing at 205 lbs. He was supposed to have the biggest test of his career this past Saturday against the undefeated Ryan Bader, but once again Jones has made a legit fighter look like an amateur at a “smoker.” Before UFC 126 it seemed as though Jones was destined for big things in the company, but I’m not sure if anybody could have predicted how quickly those things would get big. After beating Bader badly, Jones got the proverbial bombshell dropped in his lap; Rashad Evans was out, and he was in against “Shogun” next month.

There’s already been some debate as to whether or not this fight makes sense, but to me it absolutely does. Jones is only 23 and has a long career ahead of him. Even if he loses to Rua it’s not as though this will be the end of his title aspirations. Jones is taking a title fight on short notice, and he’s facing the top fighter in the world at 205 lbs. There’s no shame in losing this fight, and with his unlimited potential there’s no reason to think that he won’t be able to make it back to contention again someday. But just how much of a chance does Jones really have?

In my opinion, he’s got a pretty great chance. Jones is heading into the biggest fight of his life fresh off another training camp, while his opponent is coming off of a 10 month layoff. Rua has had numerous surgeries on his knees and whenever he’s come back from that surgery he’s not been able to perform at his highest level (witness his fights with Forrest Griffin and Mark Coleman for confirmation of that). Jones is already at peak physical condition while Rua is going to have a very real case of cage rust. Some people might claim that at the age of 23 it’s too early in Jones’ career to be fighting at this level, but allow me to remind you that “Shogun” won the PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix when he was 23 as well.

Rua does have one advantage in that he was already training for a fight on March 19th, and he was already preparing to face a wrestler. While I’m sure “Shogun” and his team are already drilling takedown defense, they face a significant challenge in training for Jones. Specifically, there is no real way to prepare for Jones’ striking abilities. He’s got such a massive reach and he uses those limbs so effectively, and on top of that he’s got an unorthodox style trained in the fine art of YouTube-Fu. There nobody else in the world that I can think of who fights like him, so how in the hell is “Shogun” going to find anybody capable of mimicking that?

On top of that Jones has the wrestling acumen to dictate exactly where this fight takes place, and he presents problems from virtually all positions. If he’s not in the position he wants to be in he’s perfectly capable of leap-frogging his opponent to get there (as we saw on Saturday). He doesn’t have the pure BJJ background that Rua possesses but his innovative submissions could still give “Shogun” plenty of trouble. The only place we haven’t seen Jones work from is off his back, but if a powerhouse wrestler like Bader couldn’t get Jones down what chance does “Shogun” have?

Of course, nobody expects the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion to try and take Jones down. Rua is a far more decorated striker, and in his performances against Lyoto Machida he would repeatedly cutting off the cage while implementing a more measured and technical approach to his attacks. Jones’ style has little in common with Machida (save for the fact that each fighter is pretty unique), but Rua is still going to have similar problems with getting in close enough to attack Jones while avoiding any significant counters. One thing working in Rua’s advantage is that we’ve yet to see Jones demonstrate true one-punch knockout power in the octagon, while “Shogun” has already separated several opponents from consciousness in his UFC run.

I expect Jones will look to maintain distance and use his striking to set up the takedown, but one of the things that makes Jones so much fun to watch is his unpredictability. At this point in his career there’s no way to know for sure how he’ll perform against “Shogun,” as there is too wide of a talent gap between the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and every other opponent Jones has faced. Rua could outclass the young Jones and dominate in his first title defense, or it could be a closely contested five round war that ends in a narrow decision.

We must also consider the third option; that “Bones” is going to straight-up wreck “Shogun” and any other opponents he faces. Jones has the kind of raw potential that’s rarely seen amongst fighters in any weight class, and I don’t think it’s out of the question to believe he’s going to run right through the UFC light heavyweight champ. There’s no way to know for sure until March 19th, and personally I cannot wait.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

The new main event was announced during the UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfort PPV broadcast when Joe Rogan offered the title shot to Jones inside the cage after his victory and Jones dropped to his knees and accepted the fight. Rua then entered the cage, said he was, “ready to fight” and shook hands with Jones.

At the post-fight press conference, Dana White stated that the fight came together very quickly. “We found out for sure today that Evans was out. We talked to Rua and his camp about fighting Jones and he accepted the fight right there. There was no back up plan.” Jones said that he’s in great shape and he’ll be ready to go in six weeks. Rua stated, “(Jones) won convincingly and he deserves to fight for the belt right now.

Rua captured the UFC Light Heavyweight Title with his impressive first round KO over Lyoto Machida at UFC 113. One month later, Evans defeated rival Quinton Jackson at UFC 114 by unanimous decision to earn a title shot. After defeating Machida though, Rua underwent knee surgery that kept him out of action until early 2011. Instead of taking another fight, Evans decided to wait for his title against Rua. While training for Rua, Evans injured his knee and was forced out of the fight. Jones is a highly-touted prospect who many believed would get a title shot in late 2011 or early 2012 but now his opportunity comes in just over a month. Jones is 12-1 in his MMA career with his only loss coming via DQ against Matt Hamill. This will be Rua’s first title defense.

With the close of the calendar, Five Ounces of Pain brings you the final segment of our annual awards featuring the general categories fans have come to expect – Submission of the Year, Knockout of the Year, Fight of the Year, and of course Mixed Martial Artist of the Year.

As always, 5 Oz. invites our readers to offer their own opinions in the “Comments” section on who should have taken home the hardware (or in this case digital love). We would not be here without you, and rest assured the Staff not only appreciates your contributions from a “page view” standpoint, but genuinely enjoys reading our community’s take on topics. Have an incredibly fun, albeit safe, New Year’s Eve!

— Submission of the Year —

Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen / UFC 117: Though the past twelve months delivered a number of memorable BJJ-based victories, including historic moments like Fabricio Werdum tapping Fedor Emelianenko, as well as unique holds like Phil Davis‘ “Wonderbar”, Anderson Silva‘s submission of Chael Sonnen at UFC 117 stood out as the biggest of the year. There was an incredible amount of hype entering their match-up thanks in large part to Sonnen’s gift of gab and the end result lived up to the expectations that had been created. Sonnen abused Silva unlike any fighter had in the Octagon only to see his hopes of winning the middleweight belt slip away in the final two minutes of the fifth round courtesy of the Brazilian’s perfectly-timed Triangle-Armbar hybrid.

— Knockout of the Year —

Mauricio Rua vs. Lyoto Machida / UFC 113: In their first fight at UFC 104, Mauricio Rua and Lyoto Machida engaged in a human chess match where neither man wanted to make a mistake. After leaving it in the hands of the judges and coming up on the wrong end of a controversial decision, Rua had a different game plan in the rematch at UFC 113. Tasting Machida’s power in their first bout and concluding that he couldn’t be hurt, Rua went after Machida in the rematch and did something that some thought was impossible. He countered the ultimate counter fighter and he hit Machida with a big overhand right as Machida leaped in with his patented left straight. The punch dropped Machida to the mat, where Rua quickly pounced on him and delivered the infamous Chute Box choke while pounding Machida unconscious with right hands. The fight-ending series earned “Shogun” the UFC Light Heavyweight Title and the distinction for Five Ounces’ top knockout of 2010.

— Fight of the Year —

Kazuo Misaki vs. Jorge Santiago II / SRC 14: Our selection for this year’s top fight was a match-up a lot of MMA fans likely missed based on location (Japan) and promotion (Sengoku). However, those who have been fortunate enough to see Jorge Santiago’s SRC middleweight title defense against Kazuo Misaki this past August understand exactly how incredible the bout was. The two respected 185-pounders battled for the bulk of five rounds before Misaki’s corner was forced to throw in a towel to stop things with less than a minute remaining in the fight. However, prior to the stoppage, “The Grabaka Hitman” had controlled a good portion of the early action before being dropped in the third then returning the favor a frame later. The championship clash involved near finishes for both and a spectacular, last-minute ending that likely saved Santiago from losing his belt. It may not have been the highest profile fight of 2010, but it was by all means arguably the best of the bunch.

— Mixed Martial Artist of the Year —

Cain Velasquez. There were plenty of stand-out performers in 2010 but no one rose to super-stardom quite like Cain Velasquez. His journey started at UFC 110 against former PRIDE and UFC Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Even though he had dominated previous competition like Ben Rothwell, Cheick Kongo, Jake O’Brien and other more-forgettable UFC heavyweights, Nogueira was Velasquez’ first true test inside the Octagon. Coming into the fight, many believed Nogueira was back to his old form after displaying his complete array of skills against Randy Couture and that his well-roundedness combined with his experience would give Velasquez more than he could handle. If this was Velasquez’ first real test, he passed with flying colors. Nogueira threw one jab and Velasquez countered with a three punch combination, including a right hook that sent “Big Nog” down to the mat in a heap. A few unanswered punches later and Velasquez had scored his first UFC main event win and a shot at the UFC Heavyweight Title. The “Cain Train” had officially left the station, ready to take out anything in its way.

Enter his next challenge. UFC 121 may have been promoted during “Brocktober,” but the million-plus people that bought UFC 121 saw the former WWE superstar fall victim to a far superior fighter. The UFC promoted this fight as one of the biggest of all time, giving it three weeks of strong promotion with the “UFC Primetime” series going deep into each fighter’s training camp. The UFC knew that Brock Lesnar would draw strong and they took that opportunity to fully introduce their fanbase to the next great Mexican-American sports star. When fight night came around Lesnar came out charging, but Velasquez weathered the early storm to take complete control of the fight. What followed was utter domination and in less than five minutes Velasquez became the UFC Heavyweight Champion, utterly destroying the former champion in such a way that no doubt can be left as to who is the better man. 2010 was an extremely strong year for the heavyweight division and Velasquez led the charge. One year ago he was a strong prospect, and now he’s the top heavyweight fighter in the world.

The pairing of top-ranked 205ers was initially reported by Canadian news outlet SportsNet. The show will mark the UFC’s third trip to the arena, including an earlier card headlined by Evans taking on fellow Ultimate Fighter season-winner Michael Bisping. Though no number has been officially announced for the date it is believed the card will be UFC 129 based on other planned events.

The bout will mark Rua’s first defense of the belt since winning it by way of first-round knockout against Lyoto Machida in May, then subsequently being sidelined in order to repair ligament damage in his left knee. The renowned Brazilian is 3-2 in the UFC, but 19-4 overall in his career including wins over Chuck Liddell, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, and Strikeforce heavyweight champ Alistair Overeem (both by way of knockout).

The 15-1-1 Evans will enter the title-bout coming off a pair of decision victories in 2010 with “Rampage” and Thiago Silva on the losing end of the judges’ scorecards and has only been beaten a single time in his seventeen-fight career. In addition to both respected competitors, “Suga” ‘Shad has experienced in-ring success in the past against Liddell, Stephan Bonnar, and of course Griffin who he ultimately won the light heavyweight championship from at UFC 92 in December 2008.

The action unfolding in Newark should be intriguing to say the least based on the fighters’ opposing styles. Evans is known primarily as a wrestler who prefers to control action while occasionally offering precise, powerful punches. Eight of his fifteen wins have been the result of a decision and he also has a draw on his record. Comparably, Rua brings an arsenal into the ring featuring an assortment of dynamic strikes born of his Muay Thai base with sixteen of his nineteen total wins coming via TKO.

That being said, you should never consider my rankings gospel. When two finely-tuned individuals step into a cage and let loose the difference between consciousness and looking up at the ceiling is a matter of milliseconds no matter who is ranked where. The individuality inherently involved in a subjective endeavor like ranking fighters, many of whom could easily be argued as deserving different spots based on personal criteria, is not only recognized on Five Ounces’ end but also encouraged in the form of offering your own lists in the “Comments” section below.

1. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (19-4)

When healthy there is no better light heavyweight than Rua, though in fairness his overall durability deserves questioning based on a number of injury-related issues he’s had in his career.

2. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (31-8)

Jackson is as tough a draw as can be had at 205-pounds. He hasn’t been finished in more than five years, and both of his decision-losses in that period were extremely close results that could have gone either way. Though some may argue Machida deserved the judges’ favor at UFC 123 I felt Jackson did enough over the first two rounds in comparison to “The Dragon” to earn the win, and based on it in addition to his other past performances I think his body of work merits the “runner up” slot in these rankings.

3. Lyoto Machida (16-2)

If Machida had been able to pull out a clear-cut win over “Rampage” last weekend I think there would have been grounds for debate in terms of him potentially leap-frogging Rua. Compare their activity since 2007 and you’ll see what I mean. However, the dynamic Brazilian lost (mainly due to his slow-starting style) and went from sixteen straight wins to a two-fight slide.

4. Rashad Evans (15-1-1)

Evans’ wins may not always be as pretty as his custom-made suits, but he gets the job done with heavy hands, excellent footwork, and a rock-solid wrestling base. However, he’s been somewhat inactive over the past few years (five total fights) and nearly stumbled late in his bouts against “Rampage” and Thiago Silva after coming off a nasty knockout to Machida.

5. Jon Jones (11-1)

Jones is a downward-elbow away from being 12-0, so it’s hard to find fault in him for the DQ loss to Matt Hamill a year ago. At 23, he’s mature for his age and has yet to show any real weaknesses in his game. He is not only the future at light heavyweight, but also very much the present, and with the dominating victories he’s racked up thus far in his career it seems to be a given he’ll fight for a UFC title sooner than later.

6. Forrest Griffin (17-6)

The affable, original TUF champ has been out of action since November 2009 so he’s only holding on to his ranking by a thread. However, when he isn’t sidelined with an injury, Griffin has found a way to will himself to victory against the cream of MMA’s crop. He’s large for a LHW, has good hands and equally decent wrestling, and also possesses an underrated set of jiu-jitsu skills. While his year-long absence from the ring could be cause to remove him completely from this list it would only be a formality since he’s scheduled to fight in February 2011 against Rich Franklin.

7. Gegard Mousasi (30-3-1)

The next three athletes on this list are almost 7A, 7B, and 7C for me. However, Mousasi gets the official nod at “7” because he has ten more total bouts than Bader/Cavalcante combined. He’s beaten a number of talented opponents in various weight-classes and is 17-1 since August 2006. If he had 1-2 bigger wins at 205-pounds he’d be at “6” with Griffin sliding down a notch.

8. Ryan Bader (12-0)

Undefeated in twelve fights, Bader has had strong showings against ranked LHWs and rarely found himself in a compromising position at any point in his career. His overall package needs refining but has absolutely the raw skills to keep climbing the divisional ladder while ironing his weaknesses out.

9. Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante (10-2)

If it wasn’t for Cavalcante’s TKO loss to Mike Kyle in June 2009 he’d likely be a few spots higher than he currently is. The Strikeforce champ has great hands for a BJJ guy, but still needs to show his skills against a higher level of adversary before sniffing a “Top 5” nod.

10. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (19-4)

“Little Nog” had won seven-straight before losing a close decision to Bader at UFC 119. With past wins over Dan Henderson and Alistair Overeem, as well as his more-recent success in the ring, Nogueira is definitely still a “Top 10” LHW regardless of the defeat.

11. Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal (7-1)

In Lawal’s case I’m admittedly ranking him more on potential rather than what he’s actually accomplished in the cage. He’s extremely talented, but still fairly new to MMA and needs a bit of polishing. If he can put together a few injury-free years and keep working on his game I can see his natural ability and incredible mind for the sport taking him all the way to the top of this list.

12. Anderson Silva (27-4)

If Silva had another win or two at light heavyweight he would easily be part of my “Top 10”. However, until he makes a more-permanent jump to the division I have a hard time putting him amongst the best (though I don’t doubt he’d easily climb there with the move).

13. Thiago Silva (14-2)

Though Silva has fallen in two of his last three bouts, the losses came to #3 and #4 on this list. Beyond that he’s finished thirteen of the fourteen other foes he’s faced in his career. Unfortunately, he’s also fought injured a number of times and is only now getting close to being healthy after suffering a back injury. Perhaps it goes without saying, but without a doubt his upcoming scrap with Brandon Vera is definitely be one of the most-important fights in his career as far as determining his future in MMA.

15. Rich Franklin (28-5)

Franklin has only fought a few times at 205 but he’s looked good in nearly all of of his professional showings with the only stumbles coming against MMA’s elite (Silva, Machida, Vitor Belfort, and a controversial split-decision to Dan Henderson). Regardless of how bad his losses were to the Brazilian group on that list, I’d pick “Ace” over the majority of the sport’s 205ers based on what he’s done so far in the division and his overall offerings in the ring.

15. Matt Hamill (10-2)

This spot is a toss-up in a lot of ways for me, as there are definitely a few other LHWs who are nearly if not equally deserving of the “Top 15” distinction. Ah, subjectivity! However, Hamill stands out to me based on his heart, chin, and combination of wrestling/power. He can grind most opponents down to a pulp to procure a decision or knock them out, whether standing or in top position. His win over Tito Ortiz was impressive in the sense he out-wrestled the former light heavyweight champ and looked sharp on his feet as well. Clearly Ortiz is not be what he used to be, but “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” is still a game competitor and Hamill’s performance against him deserves to be respected.

Honorable Mentions

Dan Henderson (25-8): “Hendo” has wins over a handful of respected 205ers, including PRIDE-era Wanderlei Silva and Belfort, as well as middleweights and even heavyweights including Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira from a decade ago. The double-divisional champion’s wrestling credentials speak for themselves and he also packs enough power to have inspired a catalog of humorous, digitally altered shots of Michael Bisping’s separation from consciousness at UFC 100 (his eleventh win by way of strikes).
Renato “Babalu” Sobral (36-8): Though most of his biggest victories come more than five years ago, Sobral is an apt competitor who has solid stand-up and, with eighteen career submission wins, an obvious arsenal on the ground. He’s also one of the two men to have legitimately finished the top name on this list (a third-round Guillotine Choke of Rua coming in the second tier of a one-night tournament in 2003 after having already gone fifteen minutes against seasoned veteran Trevor Prangley).
Vladimir Matyushenko (25-5): Matyushenko, who has won twelve of his last fourteen bouts, is still seeking a career-defining win to show his decision victory over “Little Nog” eight years ago wasn’t the pinnacle of his journey in MMA. However, there’s no doubting “The Janitor” knows how to clean up in the cage from a success standpoint. He’s beaten a number of tough opponents while never having been submitted a single time in thirty total fights. The soon-to-be-40-year old also stopped rising prospect Alexandre Ferreira’s consecutive first-frame win streak at seven (with ten in his last eleven) after two minutes of action when they fought a few weeks ago at UFC 122, so clearly Matyushenko still has some gas left in his tank even after the loss he suffered to Jones last August.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

News of potential event was confirmed by multiple sources and first reported by MMAWeekly.

The UFC’s previous venture into Abu Dhabi was memorable on a number of levels, as it provided the backdrop for both Frank Edgar’s shocking championship win over BJ Penn, as well as Anderson Silva’s baffling, albeit dominating, performance against submission-specialist Demian Maia.

Rua has been out of action since winning the light heavyweight belt against Lyoto Machida in the first round of their headlining bout at UFC 113 due to knee surgery, but has expressed his intent to return to the Octagon in Spring of next year. Evans earned his shot at the title after winning back-to-back fights against Thiago Silva and former title-holder Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.

“Shogun” Rua Out Until Middle of 2011 (Versus.com)

Why Giving Sonnen an Immediate Rematch May be a Mistake (RunKalibRun.com)

Tri-Star Trainer Firas Zahabi Talks Ken Florian (Heavy.com)

Joe Lauzon Shines Some Light on UFC 118 Bout (MMAScraps.com)

EA Sports Reveals Middleweight Roster…Including Jack Shields! (MMAConvert.com)

A Breakdown of the Fallout from Sengoku 14 (FIGHT! Magazine)

Gilbert Yvel Returns to the Octagon at UFC 121 (Middleeasy.com)

Spencer Fisher Arrested in Iowa (CagePotato.com)

Herschel Walker Set to Fight Again in 2010 (MMAFighting.com)

Mauricio “Shogun” Ru

UFC President Dana White has recently confirmed May 1 as the likely date for the anticipated showdown according to a recent report from Dave Metzel over at Yahoo Sports.

Apparently the two will face off in Montreal, Canada at an event yet to be announced.

The fellow Brazilian’s had been expected to rematch on January 2 during UFC 108 but a hand injury suffered in that bout by Machida forced the champion from the card.

There were many in attendance and watching at home that disagreed with the judges decision to award Machida with the victory in the pair’s first meeting during UFC 104 in October based on Shogun’s aggression combined with the fact that he landed more strikes during the bout, but the May date will hopefully give both men an opportunity to erase any doubt in what went down as one of the most controversial UFC title bouts in recent memory.

UFC President Dana White recently confirmed, “I think there will be a rematch in that fight. I talked to both of them and they both agreed to a rematch.”

In the post fight press conference, Rua voiced his opinion on a rematch with the champion, “Of course I’m thinking about a rematch ever since the fight, and if that’s Dana’s wish and Lyoto’s wish, I’ll fight him anywhere, anytime, wherever. It’s just a matter of people wanting to put the fight together.”

Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida also expressed interest in an immediate rematch; “Of course if the UFC decides we should have a rematch then let’s have a rematch.”

Dana White added he believes the second fight will be different than the first, “I’m pretty confident the rematch will be a different fight for both guys. I guarantee the next fight is going to be much different. I think they’re both going to come in and not make the same mistakes they made this first fight. They’re going to come in and each one is going to try to win decisively. I think that the second fight will be the fight we want to see. I love this rematch. I think it’s a great rematch.”

In a recent conversation with the Brazilian website Terra.com.br, Shogun admitted,”Depending on the money I would fight at heavyweight division. If I receive a good proposal and my moment is good and it is great for my personal marketing, I would have to give it consideration.”

First things first for the 27 year old knockout specialist from Curitiba, Brazil; on October 24 Rua will face be in the fight of his life as he meets up with Lyoto Machida for the UFC light-heavyweight championship at UFC 104.

Shogun will be coming back from consecutive TKO stoppages over Mark Coleman and Chuck Liddell after being derailed at the hands of Forrest Griffin in his UFC debut, while Machida has gone undefeated in his professional career, knocking out Rashad Evans at UFC 98 to obtain the title.

*props to Fighters Only Magazine for the find

UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida is set to defend his newly obtained championship for the first time when he faces off with a fellow Brazilian, and former training partner in Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 104.

Rua’s strengths in such a wide aspect of areas in the cage make him a legitimate threat to a champion many believe has no peers at 205 pounds.

Shogun is a strong wrestler. While not as technical as some of Machida’s previous opponents such as Tito Ortiz and Rashad Evans on paper, Mauricio combines his punishing stand-up attack with explosive takedowns to keep his opponents guessing.

Throw in the challenger’s vast and indisputably dangerous submission arsenal, and you have a fighter with the skill-set that the elusive “Dragon” has yet to encounter up to this point in his fifteen fight career.

While both men are widely considered to be among the best fighters competing in the sport, the two couldn’t be any more opposite stylistically. Defensive fighter vs. offensive fighter. Something Rua confessed to being fully aware of in a recent interview with our friends at Tatame.com.

“He comes from the Karate school and I come from the Muay Thai school, but he’s an athlete who gives a lot of knee blows, plenty Muay Thai blows also, which he improved well,” explained Shogun. “I think the big difference is that he likes to fight in counter punching, and I’m the opposite, I like to go inside”

Tito Ortiz had Machida in more trouble than ever before in his mixed martial arts career and “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” has never been known for his submissions. It’s that exact viewpoint that has left many fans speculating about the possibility of Shogun being able to submit Lyoto should the fight go to the canvas. However, according to Rua the two are far from strangers and even he doesn’t expect things to be as easy as many may believe come fight night.

“He’s a very complete man; good standing, good on the ground, and good in wrestling,” said Mauricio. “Actually, people say that if I take the fight to the ground I’ll win, but it isn’t like that. He’s very good on the ground. I’ve trained with him, and sometimes that isn’t the solution. Staying on top in the fight may be an advantage, but I have to see it right so that I don’t make the wrong strategy”